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The Federal Indian Policy in Texas, 1845-1860

THE FEDERAL INDIAN POLICY IN TEXAS, 1845-1860LENA CLARA KOCHCHAPTER IIITHE RANGERS AND FRONTIER PROTECTION1. The Employment of Federal TroopsThe Army During the War with Mexico.-Before taking up thediscussion of the ranger service in Texas, it is necessary to dis-cover what part the Federal troops played in frontier protection.Marcy's letter to Taylor quoted at the beginning of the last chapterevinced the fact that the National Government recognized the re-sponsibility to protect the Texas frontier from Indians, and pre-pared to have a part of the United States Army in Texas imme-diately following annexation. The first two years of statehoodwere taken up with the Mexican war. During this period theUnited States stationed a regiment of mounted men on the frontierof Texas, and this proved sufficient protection.1The Withdrawal of Troops at the Close of the War.-On theconclusion of the war, the Central Government replaced these vol-unteer troops by a part of the regular army, which it stationed atpoints along the southwestern border.2 The withdrawal of thetroops from Texas was obviously a gradual procedure, for Craw-ford, Secretary of War, wrote General Brooke, June 4, 1849, thatthere were 1400 men for Texas; 1000 infantry, 100 artillery, and300 dragoons; twenty-eight companies in all. This force, he said,was equal to that which Texas organized while she was a republic,and was deemed amply sufficient.3 About a month later, GeneralBrooke wrote Adjutant General Jones, complaining of the in-adequacy of the force. The twenty-eight companies, he said, werelittle over half full; altogether there were not over 1000 men. Hehoped the next Congress would increase the force, for large num-bers of Indians were invading the state, and although he had theauthority to do so, he did not want to call on the Governor of'Winkler, in Johnson-Barker, Texas and Texans, I, 510.2Ibid.'31st Cong., 1st Sess., House Doc. No. 5, pp. 138-139.